WEEKLY REVIEW: Kazakhstan improves business climate and wraps up agricultural land inventory
On Monday May 7, Defence Minister of Kazakhstan Adilbek Dzhaksybekov congratulated the military officers on the Defender of the Motherland Day and the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan's Army, the Ministry's press service said.
"20 years ago President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed the Decree on the establishment of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan," the Minister said. "Since that our Army has been developing along with our country. Year after year it strengthens its authority and today we can proudly say that the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan are reliable protection of the attainments of our independence."
The Minister also awarded officers with orders, medals and shoulder straps.
Trilateral Commission for Social Partnership and regulation of social and labor relations chaired by the Kazakh Vice Prime Minister Yerbol Orynbayev was held in Astana. According to Kazakh Vice Minister of Economic Development and Trade Madina Abylkassymova, annual inflation during the period March 2011 - March 2012 stood at 4.6 per cent, which is the minimum indicator of inflation since May 1999. A reduction in prices on some types of food is being observed. Following the meeting Y.Orynbayev instructed the Agency for Protection of Competition to check the facts of a sharp rise in prices for certain types of food.
On Tuesday May 8, Chairman of the Agency for Land Resources Management Kadirkhan Otarov said that release of unprepared land plots for the individual housing construction continued.
In addition, the head of the Agency requested the government to increase funding for mapping activities. Only 15 per cent of the total number of sheets of the state large-scale topographic maps is updated.
Prime Minister Karim Massimov said that Government meeting on the results of the land inventory was scheduled for June. He reminded of the need to provide information on unused land plots, stressing that the issue was being controlled by the Head of State
Chairman of the Agency for Construction, Housing and Utilities Serik Nokin reported the installation of the automated heat points by tenants of the modernized houses was forseen by the Housing Modernization Program.
Following the meetings Prime Minister instructed to organize permanent monitoring of the preparations for the upcoming heating season plants, heat boilers, and electric and main thermal power system. Besides he noted it was necessary to prepare industry facilities, engineering infrastructure and housing and public sector social services for the upcoming heating season.
On May 8 Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev received Kazakh Minister of Finance Bolat Zhamishev, the press service of the Kazakh President informed.
In his report Kazakh Minister of Finance informed of the preparation for disposal of managing offices of the indirect taxes from the Kazakh Customs Committee to the Tax Committee. B. Zhamishev mentioned functions of indirect taxes' (VAT and excise taxes) collection when importing goods from Russia and Belarus were transferred to the tax authorities as of July 2010. In this connection in 2011 two thirds of indirect taxes sum are administrated by the tax authorities and the remaining part is collected by the customs service.
Currently, reporting and payment of the principal indirect taxes is carried out by tax authorities after the reporting period, while payment of the customs declaration is made prior to release of imported goods in circulation. To solve all these problems Kazakh Ministry of Finance has begun to transfer administration of the indirect taxes to the tax authorities.
B.Zhamishev also reported on implementation of the presidential instruction given in Nursultan Nazarbayev's Address about the need for development of e-government and transfer of all social services into the electronic format.
Besides, Kazakh Minister of Finance reported on reforms of the bankrupt system, budget planning and implementation during the meeting.
Kazakh Ministry of Finance jointly with the World Bank within the framework of a joint economic research is working to improve budgeting, making it more results-oriented, changing the approaches to the formation of the budgetary programs. It is envisaged that the budget program will include both current expenses and development costs for individual budget routines.
President of Kazakhstan emphasized the need of tax and customs administration further improvement and development of the Kazakhstan's financial sector.
Following the meeting, Nursultan Nazarbayev gave a number of specific assignments and set new tasks for the Ministry of Finance.
On Thursday May 10, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Kairat Kelimbetov was in Beijing for a working visit, Kazinform has learnt from Kazakh Embassy's press service in China.
K. Kelimbetov had already had a meeting with Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming. The parties discussed a wide range of issues relating to bilateral commercial, economic and investment cooperation.
Kairat Kelimbetov and Chen Deming exchanged views on preparation for the CSTO top-level meeting in Beijing, and development of the commercial and economic cooperation program between two countries in order to implement instructions of the heads of the states.
The sides noted with appreciation dynamic development of Chinese-Kazakh neighborliness, friendship and mutually profitable cooperation over two decades since establishment of diplomatic ties. Stable good-neighborly relations between Kazakhstan and China serve the interests of both nations.
Kazakh Chairman of the Agency for Physical Culture and Sports Talgat Yermegiyaev informed that Kazakh sportsmen won 91 certificates for the Olympiad in London. Government allocated about KZT 1 billion on the sportsmen's preparation. These funds will be spent on the purchase of equipment, training and sport promotion.
"Kazakhstan attaches importance to President's initiative on creation of Cyberpol, an authority against cybercrime and cyber terrorism," Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Yerzhan Kazykhanov announced at the SCO Foreign Minister's Council in Beijing on May 11.
According to Y. Kazykhanov, this initiative is aimed at practical implementation of the Agreement between the governments of the SCO member states on Cooperation in the Field of International Information Security, signed in Yekaterinburg in 2009.
Kazakh side supports the development of a three-level mechanism on counter drugs cooperation and is for gradual implementation of the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy for 2011-2016 and the Program of its implementation.
Timely analysis of the situation, development of practical guidelines responding to emerging challenges and threats, as well as informed and effective decisions could contribute to the implementation of the initiative of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev for the establishment of the SCO Center for Prognostics.
"We think this center can improve prognostic and analytical constituent of the SCO to increase the efficiency of decisions made," Kazakh Foreign Minister said.
The SCO Foreign Ministers' Council submitted for the SCO Summit's consideration and approval such documents as draft Guidelines of the SCO Mid-Term Development Strategy, the Regulations on political and diplomatic measures and mechanisms to respond to the SCO situation that endangers peace, security and stability in the region and the SCO member states' Cooperation Program in combating terrorism, separatism and extremism for 2013-2015.
